Dispute&Promise
by M.for.Miracle
Summary: Oneshot. SnorrixNicko. Snorri has a big argument with her mother. Violent, adult themes.


**DISLAIMER: I don't own anything that is remotely linked to Septimus Heap. And if anyone asks, I am doing English revision.**

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't. Snorri shouted and screamed at her mother, to no avail. The tears poured down her face from her pale blue eyes, as bitter as the salt from furious, frenzied storms in the middle of lonely, abandoned seas.

"You can't stop me going back to sea! You can't make me marry some land-lubber's son!" Snorri felt herself losing control. "You can't ban me from loving Nicko!"

An empty, filthy, hatred-injected silence fell.

"Nicko." her mother whispered at last. "You never told me you were in love with someone."

"And you never told me who my father was." sobbed Snorri.

"Is that where you were yesterday? With some foreign scum? Against my wishes!" At this last, Alfrun's voice rose to a feverish bellow.

"I don't care what you think!" Snorri yelled. "Your wishes matter nothing to me."

"You bitch." her mother spat. "You take after your father. He always wanted to spite me."

"Well, I'm proud to be acknowledged as my father's daughter." Snorri whispred, icily and defiantly. "So much more than being acknowledged as yours."  
She cried out in agony as her mother's palm made contact with her cheek. It burned like fire and hatred. Blood welled in the cut from Alfrun's wedding ring.

"Why did father leave?" she screamed, determined not to give in. She lunged, grabbing her mother's apron, at her throat, fingers scrabbling. Tearing and wrenching, until blow after blow forced her to the floor.

Alfrun snatched up the poker from beside the fire. In a second it was glowing white-hot, to match the fury of she who wielded it.

"I hate you." she said simply.

In front of her, at her feet, Snorri's whole body shook with sobs. Finally, eyes swollen and damp, cheeks smeared with blood, she looked up at her mother.

"I hate you too. And I won't let you lock me away again. I'm going. And I'm never coming back. So this will be goodbye. _Mother_." Snorri spat the last word as though her lips were coated with poison.

Her mother gave a cry and wrenched the poker out of the fire. Brought it swishing, glowing through the air. Across her daughter's back.

Snorri screamed, a terrible, primal scream of pain. A sense of numb shock gripped her, and she grabbed the white-hot tip of the poker and shoved it away from her face.

The next thing she knew, she was running. As fast as she could, away from the hell and misery of the place she called home.

It was the rain on her bruised face that woke her. Snorri lay a while, wondering what to do now. She had run until it was almost dark, and then she couldn't remember what had happened. She staggered up and limped along, with no idea where she was heading.

Snorri paused, seeing the moon reflecting off a puddle. She glanced at her own reflection in it. Her hair was ratted and matted, her face white. One cheek was covered with blood, congealing nastily.

"You alright there?" said a voice.

She spun around. A man was standing behind her, his face masked by his hood.

"You look cold. And tired. Want to come with me? I got somewhere you can stay. You'll have to return the favour, mind."

Snorri didn't trust this stranger one bit. "I'm fine, thank you." she replied cooly.

"You sure about that?" The man's voice was husky as he stepped forward, grabbing her arm.

"Let go of me!" Snorri twisted in his grasp.

"Shh." whispered the man, breath hot on the side of her face. "There's nothing to worry about."

One of his hands rested on her chest. The other kept a firm grip of her shoulder as he kissed her sore cheek roughly and wetly. She couldn't help it. She whimpered.

"There there." muttered her attacker. "I'll kiss it better."

"Leave her alone." A familiar voice shouted across the street.

"Nicko." she gasped.

Nicko strode forward, drawing his sailor's knife from his belt. "I said, let her go."

The man threw Snorri down on the ground and turned to face Nicko. "So pretty girl's pretty boyfriend has a knife, does he? They can be dangerous, you know." The man taunted, goading Nicko as he drew a pistol from the depths of his cloak.

Nicko lunged.

The man fired.

The shot was a warning shot, that soared overhead and embedded itself in a tree trunk. This was all Nicko needed; without hesitation he drove the tip of the blade in the man's stomach. It penetrated about an inch, enough to disract the man, but not seriously harm.

"Snorri! Are you alright?" Nicko pulled the blade out and ran to her. He pulled her up. "Come on, I've got a boat and supplies."

"You came after me." was all Snorri could manage, leaning heavily on him as they walked.

"'Course I did." replied Nicko. "I love you."

Nicko's boat was about the same size as the _Alfun_ had been. In the darkness, Snorri couldn't see the name. But she was paying little attention to the boat. Her thoughts were focused on Nicko.

Nicko sat her down on a bunk and rummaged in a cupboard. "I've got dressing for that cut on your face. Shall I hang your cloak up to dry?"

Snorri peeled off her sodden, muddy cloak and handed it to him. Her tunic rose as she lifted the cloak over her head.

"What happened to your back?" Nicko gasped. "You've been burnt."

"Attacked with a poker." Snorri explained.

"I'll put some salve on it." Nicko turned back to the cupboard. "Mum showed me some basic medical stuff, her being a Healer and all that." He pulled a jar of balm from the back of the cupboard and turned round to see Snorri gazing at him with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"What?"

He sat down on the bunk next to her, and put his arm around her shoulder.

"You came after me." said Snorri simply. Tears slid slowly down her face, but they were different from those of her fight with her mother. They were softer, sweeter.

Nicko held her tightly. "Of course I did, Snorri. I swore I'd never leave you. And I never will. Promise." He spoke the last word into her long, white-gold hair.

She broke away and looked up at him. "I trust you." she whispered. "I trust you to keep your promises."

Then they were kissing, wrapped in each other, months of fear and longing, for each other, finally presenting themselves in a kiss that could have taught the stars how to twinkle.

Nicko and Snorri lay back on the bunk, desperately seeking each other. They were in love, deeply, eternally, unmistakeably in love with one another. Clothing was discarded, kisses exchanged, no words spoken.

They lay side by side, naked, fingers entwined.

"I promised I wouldn't leave you." Nicko choked, his voice low. "Now promise me."

"I promise." moaned Snorri.

Nicko rolled on top of her. She shuddered in ecstasy as her entered her, her breath coming short and fast. "I promise." groaned Snorri again, arching her back and closing her eyes.

Nicko answered her groans with his own. "And I promise again." he purred.

A promise that would stay with them for eternity.


End file.
